Fence-machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 1. W. H. MASON FENCE MACHINE No. 470,581Patentd Mar. 8, 18-92.

I 1 lNVE/VTO/l' m, m m M A TTOHNEYS NITED STATES PATE T OFF CE.

WWILLIAM- n. MASON, or EAST MONROE, orno.

FENCE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,581, dated March 8,1892.

Application filed July 17,1891. $erial No. 399,828. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. MASON, of East Monroe, in the county ofHighland and State of Ohio, have invented a new and ImprovedFence-Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to improvements in fence-machines which are adaptedto build that class of picket-fences in which the pickets are heldbetween strands of wire, which are secured to suitable supporting-posts.

The object of my invention is to producea simple apparatus by means ofwhich a fence of the character described may be rapidly, easily, andnicely built, and also to produce an apparatus which will enable one manto work as conveniently in building a fence as will two men with anordinary device.

To this end my invention consists in cer-.

tain features of construction and combinations of parts, which will behereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, 1n which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a partiallybuilt fence of the characterdescribed, showing my apparatus connected therewith. Fig. 2 is an endviewof the fence, showing more particularly the tension-regulator. Fig.3 is an enlarged detail sectional View of the wiretwister. Fig. 4. is abroken detail view showing the position of the twister arranged to forcetwowires apart. Fig. 5 is a similar view, but with the twister arrangedto cross the wires after a picket has been inserted between them. Fig. 6is a vertical section on the line 6 6 in Fig. 7, showing the detailconstruction of the tension-regulator. Fig. 7 is a front elevation ofthe tension-regulator. Fig. Sis a sectional plan view on the line 8 8 inFig. 6. Fig. 9 is a vertical section on the line 9 9 in Fig. 8, showingthe wire-winding mechanism in detail; and Fig. 10 is a cross-sectionthrough one of the wire-rollers, showing the manner in which the wire issecured thereto.

Fig. 1 showsa common form of picket-fence, which has a series ofaligning posts 10, which are braced by braces 10* and which have securedthereto parallel strands ofwire 11, be tween which the pickets 12 arewoven. Itis obvious that any kind of pickets or posts may be used, andthe wire'is stretched taut by means of the tension-regulator 13 and istwisted around the pickets by the twister 14. The tension-regulator 13comprises a rectangular frame 15, which is strengthened by braces 16,extending diagonally across it at each end, and the adjacent rollers,which are carried by the frame. The front side of the frame 15 is formedof two parallel rails 17, and on theinside of the rails arevertically-aligning U- shaped clips 18, which are pivoted on the bolts19,extending between the rails 17, and to prevent these bolts fromturning they are bent in the middle, as shown at 20. The outer ends ofthe bolts 19 project through washers 21, which are secured to the frontsides of the rails and which are doubled over the edges of the same.Similar washers 21 are secured near the ends of the rails 17 to fastenthem. together. The bolts 19 are held in place by the handled nuts 22,which are secured to their outer ends. Each U-shaped clip 18 carries apair of rollers 23, which are arranged parallel with each other, andeach roller has one end squared, as shown at 24, and. made to projectthrough the clip, so that it maybe turned by a crank. The rollers arearranged so that the squaredend of one will be on one side of the clipand the squared end of the other on the opposite side, and each rolleris provided at one end with a ratchet-wheel 25 and at the opposite endwith a pawl 26, the pawl of one roller engaging the ratchet-wheel of theopposite roller, so that the two pawls will serve to prevent the rollersfrom turning in the wrong direction. The pawls are held in engage mentwith the rollers by suitable springs 27, which may be thrown off thepawls when the latter are to be released from the ratchetwheels. Eachroller 23 is perforated, as shown at 28, and the wires 11 to betightened are thrust through the perforations, and when the rollers areturned the wires will be wound upon them, as best shown in Fig. 10. Itwill be noticed that the clips 18, carrying the rollers 23, may beadjusted vertically, so as to bring them the necessary distance apart,

tighten the wires to any desired extent.

which distance is governed by the height of the pickets and theconsequent relative position of the binding-wires 11.

The tension-regulator is operated as follows: It is placed opposite oneof the end posts of the fence, as shown in Fig. 1, and on one side it isbraced by a pin 29, which is driven into the ground at its foot, and onthe opposite side it is held by a wire 30, running from the top of theregulator-frame to a pin which is secured in the ground at one side ofthe frame. The frame will thus be prevented from tilting when the wiresare tightened. The wires 11 are secured to the end posts of the fence atthe end opposite that where the tension-ro ulator is arranged, and thefree ends of the wires are secured to the rollers 23, which rollers arerevolved by means of suitable cranks, and which consequently The pickets12 are placed between the strands of wire, and a twist is given to thewires between each pair of pickets, so that the pickets to receive astrand of wire.

will be held securely in place. This, however, is a common method ofsecuring the pickets and will need no further description.

The frame of the twister 14 consists of a bar 31,which has a handle 32centrally thereon, and the twister is provided with a series ofvertically-aligning projecting main arms 33, which have recesses 34 intheir upper edges and near their free ends, which recesses serve ashooks and are adapted to receive strands of wire, and at this point thearms are bent slightly, so as to enable the main portion of the arms tobe brought parallel with the wires 11, if desired. The extreme free endsof the arms 33 are bent laterally, as shown at 33*, so as to form stopsand limit the upward movement of the arms 35, which are pivoted on awidened portion of the arms 33 immediately beneath the recesses 34.These arms 35 are adapted to swing on the arms 33, and they have each ajoint 36 at their outer ends, which is recessed The body of the twisteris slotted longitudinally, as shown at 37 and 37, so that the arms 33may be placed any desired distance apart to conform to the height of thefence.

The twister is operated as follows: As described above, the wires arecomposed of two strands, and when the twister is used one strand of eachwire is placed in the recess 34 of one of the arms 33 and the oppositestrand in the recess 36 of the arm 35, and after the twister isonceadjusted it need not be taken from the wires until the fence is built,as it may be pushed along in front of the pickets as fast as they areplaced in position. When placed in the position shown in Fig. 4, thestrands of the wire will be parted, and a picket is thrust downwardbetween them, and it will be noticed that the points at which the arms35 are pivoted to the arms 33 is a little lower than the horizontalplanes of the separated strands of wire. Consequently the inwardpressure of the strands will hold the twister in position and give theoperator time to. nicely adjust the picket 12. After the picket is inplace the operator raises the bar 31 slightly and pulls it towardhim,thus raising the central point above the strands of wire and causingthe arms 35 to swing inward beneath the arms 33 and into the positionshown in Fig. 5, and crossing the wires, as shown in said fig ure. A newpicket is then inserted between the wires and the bar is lowered andpushed in the opposite direction, which causes the arms 35 to swingoutward, again crossing the wires and providing for the insertion ofanother picket. This operation is repeated until the fence is completed,and if the wires should become too taut after the insertion of numerouspickets the tension may be slackened by loosening the nuts 22. When thetwister is moved, the bar 31 may be folded against the wires, so that itwill pass them easily, and the joints 36 and the bend in the arms 33 atthe recesses 3% enable this to be easily done. When a brace, as 10 inFig. l is reached, it may interfere with the operation of the twister,and the twister may be removed from the wires. When the twister has beenremoved, the wires are twisted by giving a half turn to each of theclips 18 after each insertion of a picket, and the strands of the wireswill pull the clips slightly away from the rails 17, so that they willturn easily and enable the work to be accomplished without trouble.After each post is passed the wires may be secured to the posts in theusual way.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecureby Letters Patent 1. In a fence-machine, a tension-regulator comprisingthe open rectangular frame 13, the vertically-adjustable clips 18 withinsaid frame on the inner face of its rear vertical member, and twoparallel rollers in each clip,

each provided with a pawl and a ratchet, the

pawl of one roller engaging the ratchet of the other, substantially asset forth.

2. In a fence-machine, the open rectangular frame 13, the rear or outervertical member of which is formed of spaced bars 17 17,bolts 19,extending through said spaced bars and having angular portions or bends20 to prevent rotation, clips 18 on the inner ends of the bolts withinthe frame, nuts on the outer ends of the bolts to clamp the clips inplace, and a pair of rollers mountedin each clip and provided withpawl-and-ratchet mechanisms, substantially as set forth.

3. Ina fencemachine, the twister comprising ahandled bar havingprojecting main arms thereon, said arms having recesses in their upperedges, and a series of arms pivoted on the main arms and provided withend recesses, substantially as described.

4. In a fence-machine, the twist-er comprising a handled bar, a seriesofprojecting main arms secured thereon and provided with end stops andwith recesses in their upper edges, and a series of arms pivoted 0n themain arms and provided with end recesses, substantially as described.

5. In a fence-machine, the twister comprising a handled bar, a series ofmain arms secured therein and having means for vertical adjustment, saidarms having recesses in their upper edges, and a series of jointed :0

arms pivoted to the main arms and provided with end recesses,substantially as described.

WILLIAM H. MASON.

Witnesses:

W. H. PENN, JOHN OAHILL.

